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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Revisiting Patty Farmer: The Persian Room Presents

Richard Skipper, Patty Farmer, Jack Jones

I became familiar with Patty Farmer when mutual friend, her
publicist, Harlan Boll, sent me a press release to write about her upcoming
book, The Persian Room Presents back in January. It
celebrates the rich legacy of a now long ago and mostly forgotten nightclub in
New York.

Being a fan of that era AND its nightlife, I was thrilled to
interview Patty. From the moment, we
first spoke, I fell in love with her and her enthusiasm about preserving this
great legacy. I couldn’t wait to read the book and pre-ordered it in
Amazon.com. When the book arrived, I couldn’t put it down.

I was lucky enough
to be invited to the star studded event celebrating the book’s release earlier
this year.

She has been on a whirlwind with personal appearances. As a matter
of fact, our conversation yesterday took place as she was en route to a
luncheon date with Lainie Kazan and Barbara Van Orden, both have chapters in
Patty’s book. She will be in East Hampton on this Saturday night along with
Hilary Knight, who illustrated the Eloise books, and Sam Irvin, who wrote the
definite biography of Kay Thompson. This will be moderated by Dick Cavett.

I
suggest anyone within a fifty mile radius attend this event. I wanted to
revisit Patty and get a new perspective eight months after my initial
interview.

Writing The Persian
Room Presents took Patty a little over two years to write. She did not set
out to write a book.
She was curious and started collecting historical data on
The Persian Room. She was curious about this nightclub and how it started. She
couldn’t find this information anywhere else. The Plaza Hotel, where The
Persian Room was located for four decades, did not have this information. Patty
was forced to go out to the libraries and archives to try and retrieve this
information. It started as a curiosity. As she started gathering information,
the idea of a book came to her. She wanted it to be in place so that the next
person who came along who shared the same curiosity could go and find it more
easily.

She started putting it into book form and it started evolving from
there. She had the basic facts: when it opened, when it closed, what it looked
like, who decorated it, what was going on in America during those different
decades, what was going on in New York specifically through those decades.
Patty also thought this story needed some heart. That’s when she started going
to these wonderful entertainers from The Persian Room and asked them for their
memories and musings and as they started contributing, it became the book it
is.

The Plaza Hotel in New York was celebrating its one
hundredth birthday.
Because Patty has a small apartment in the Plaza, she was
very curious.
Anything that’s been around one hundred years, whether it is a
person or a building, has gone through so many changes, and so many
transitions.

One hundred and seven years ago, most people didn’t have cars. The
main source of transportation was horse and buggy. Being a history buff, all of
this seemed enormously interesting to Patty.
She wanted to find out more about
this Persian Room and why it started. The genesis of the Persian Room was born
out of prohibition and a gayer time.
Patty calls herself an old fashioned
history geek.

The first interview that Patty secured was like being at the
top of Mount Olympus, it was Kaye Ballard! Patty sent Kaye a letter in Rancho
Mirage, California. Imagine her surprise one day when the phone rang and she
picked it up to hear that familiar voice on the other end! “Hi, Patty! I hear
you’re writing a book about The Persian Room. I would like to tell you about my
time there.” That was an exciting start to this project. She and Kaye had
numerous conversations and lunches.

Lainie Kazan, Barbara van Orden, Patty, Connie Stevens, Michele Lee

Kaye is someone that Patty feels she could
pick up the phone and call anytime, such a career and a wonderful woman.

What I love about the book is that it is an oral history
from those that were there instead of a “he said, she said” book.

The holy grail for Patty, the interview she wanted but did
not get, was Liza Minnelli. Who doesn’t want to talk to Liza! Logistics and
scheduling precluded that happening.
As it happens, Patty was introduced to
Liza about a month ago through a friend.
He introduced Patty to Liza and
Michael Feinstein.
They were told that Patty had written this book about the
Persian Room , and, of course, at that time, Liza said, “I played The Persian
Room. Sit down. Let’s talk.” Patty thought, “Where were you six months ago?”In 1966 Liza Minnelli brought her Night Club Act to the Big Apple. She opened her "Cabaret Type Revue" Debut in Grand Style
at the Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel in New York to enthusiastic reviews.

Since writing the book, so many more people have reached out
to Patty. “I was at The Persian Room” –Florence Henderson. Patty hopes to have
a revised edition with more stories.

Celeste Holm played The Persian Room in 1943

Once the book was “finished”, it was a rushed process. It
became a high priority with the publisher and it still took about six months. There
was the editing and the layouts…which were surprising to Patty. Although, this
was Patty’s first book, she wasn’t “unknowledgeable” about that whole process.

She thought it would end up on the shelves in a month or so after writing it.
In a “rush job”, it took six months. Patty is told that that process typically
can take up to a year or more. It’s a lot of tedious work. There’s back and
forth to the editors. The first lay out had many mistakes. Diahann Carroll’s
pic, for example, on Marge Champion’s story. In the first printing, there were
still errors. It was reprinted and that was better.

Barbara Van Orden

Patty still thinks it was a wonderful magic room. It was also
the times. She wishes that she could almost transport herself through time.
After the book came out, Patty has given a lot of interviews and spoken to a
lot of people.
One of the many questions asked is, “ Why can’t we have rooms
like that today?” We still have
wonderful nightclubs in New York. Some are closing. Some have closed. There are
also new ones that have opened. You can’t replicate what was. It was the times.
It was a time when people dressed up to go out.
It was a time where women had all
afternoon getting their hair done, and put on their make-up, deciding what jewels
to wear, men wore tuxedos regularly for an evening out on the town. When you
look at those photographs, you know that people just didn’t rush out of work
and go out on the town. It would have been nice to be a part of that time. Patty’s
only regret is she can’t have it all. She can’t be a twenty-first century girl
and go out dancing and to have been part of the social scene of the 1950’s.

Patty is really happy to say that there is nothing she would
have done differently as far as this book is concerned. She is really pleased.
She executed her vision. She got to interview most of the people she set out to
interview. She was pleasantly surprised with the number of people who agreed to
talk with her. Kaye was the first. Andy Williams was the second one. It was
great times for him appearing with Kay Thompson and he said yes. They all took
time out of their still busy schedules. Patty was also lucky to have what has
become Celeste Holm’s last interview. She and her husband joined Patty at the
Palm Court at the Plaza to gossip and catch up on stories over afternoon tea.
In addition to getting her great story, they had numerous phone interviews. Patty
considers herself lucky to experience Celeste.

Leslie Uggams

Patty’s life hasn’t changed that much since the book came
out. She is happier and this is a new facet. She now knows she can write a
book.
She has made new friends including yours truly.

Cabaret is far from dead as far as Patty is concerned. She
is also seeing younger audiences in the shows she is attending.
Last weekend,
Patty went to the new club, Below 54. She made a point of looking around and
saw people in their twenties, thirties, and forties. That’s encouraging. It’s
nice to see people going out and discovering cabaret. She hopes that that just
perpetuates. A lot of people may think that it is an art form for the older
set.
From personal observation, Patty says that is not true. She goes to a lot
of the clubs often.

Patty’s cabaret going has happened as a result of the book.
Now she is being exposed one by one to what is out there. It makes her look
more often. She now checks the calendar to see who is at the Carlyse, Feinstein’s,
Below 54, or any of the other rooms. She is now so much more in tune with the
whole art form.

Connie Stevens

There are so many new favorites that she doesn’t even want
to pick one off the top of her head. She has heard a new singer named Briana
that is forcing Patty to really pay attention to. She is a jazz singer that
blew Patty’s socks off, a great new up and comer.

This book was significant for Patty on so many levels. It
was her first book.

There is another book in the works which I am keeping under
wraps until Patty is ready to announce it.
She did succeed in putting out an
informative book. One review reads, “ A must have book for anyone who loves
history, and specifically, New York history.”
That made Patty beam. That made
it all worthwhile. A lot of the “girls” of the book have been wonderful and
instrumental in helping Partty promote the book, Michele Lee Lainie Kazan, Barbara
Van Orden. Barbara is one of the huge gifts that came out of this project. They
have become good friends.
They feel like they were sisters separated at birth.

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday

Patty feels like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Each memory from writing the book is wonderful. The biggest
collective memory is the work ethic of all of these wonderful entertainers: Celeste
Holm, Andy Williams, Tony Butala from The Lettermen, Leslie Uggams. All of
these entertainers started entertaining when they were very young. Andy, Tony,
and Leslie were all eight years old when they began. They are still
entertaining audiences today! Andy Williams does concerts. Leslie Uggams just
did Thoroughly Modern Millie in St.
Louis. Tony Butala tours with The Lettermen doing one hundred concerts a year.
They do it because they love it. They are not doing it because they are trying
to make the mortgage.
Patty has been to the homes! She knows!! She knows how
they live.
That is such an example for Patty. Celeste was 95 when she passed last
month.

Celeste Holm

She tells in Patty’s book how she was starring in Oklahoma!, she would leave the St. James Theater at 10:30 still
taking off her stage make-up, while she ran to the Plaza to do the late show at
The Persian Room. Patty said to Celeste, “You were a Broadway star. Why were
you doing late shows at the Persian Room? Was it financial?” Celeste answered
by saying, “No, I love to perform.” She did that at twenty-six when she was the
toast of Broadway as Ado Annie. She still loved to perform at ninety-five; still
out and about, doing concert appearances with her husband, opera singer Frank
Basile. Marge Champion is ninety-three and is as active as ever. She is still
dancing. She still does her high kicks and performs at Disney exhibits. She was
the model for Snow White and the
dancing hippos in Fantasia.

Marge Champion

There is one thread that runs throughout Patty’s book with
every entertainer, that is the lack of small venues. In the seventies, with the
rock scene taking over the music industry, and more and more concerts being
done at Madison Square Garden, and other stadiums, everyone wanted to go to
those events to see their favorite stars.

Many of these entertainers have
expressed to Patty that they wish there were smaller rooms again. We are losing
them faster than we’re getting them. The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel closed
earlier this year.

Michael Feinstein

We don’t know if Feinstein’s is really going to relocate. It
pretty much is the same scenario we heard from the Oak Room. They said they
were renovating to re-open and then went away from cabaret.

Patty is constantly
being brought back to that work ethic, never giving up, perseverance, not
taking it as a personal thing when you get a “no” from a press agent. Patty
grew up in a family where everything was done by the book. Patty’s mother never
had to give a reason. It was always, “That’s the way things are done.” Or “That’s
not the way things are done.”She was
brought up with a tremendous amount of manners and you didn’t bother people.
With that instilled in Patty, it was tough to go back a second, third, or
fourth time to say, “Hi! It’s Patty Farmer. I’m just checking in to whomever…”
With Jack Jones, they spoke four times and four times he was busy.
Eventually,
Jack said let’s get together and talk. It was worth it.

Patty has brought to the table sincerity. She truly was
interested in what these people had to say.

Lainie Kazan

She was curious and she loved
learning about the Persian Room…about the physical room itself and Julie Wilson
and all the other fabulous entertainers.
Luckily, Julie is another who Patty
now calls among her dear dear friends. Like Barbara van Orden, these came as a
result of the book.

The book was not without a bump in the road. There was one
performer, who shall remain nameless. Even if his name were to be mentioned
here, most would not know who he is. Patty went to Palm Beach to talk with him.
She always records interviews. He was very bitter and critical about his lack
of success.
There were certain singers that he felt he was on par with, Eddie
Fisher, or any other top male singer. He wanted to be paid by Patty for his
interview. After Patty went down to Palm Beach on her own expense, he had
someone contact her to say that he wanted to be paid for his story. That was
disheartening after the generosity of the big stars giving the public their
stories, that this man wanted to be paid. Patty had no problem saying, “Thank
you very much, but that’s not the book I’m writing.”He is not part of the book.

Patty pretty much completed the book on her schedule. She
had her wish list of who she wanted to talk to. She pretty much kept to that
list.
Everyone was willing and able to participate. Those that she didn’t
interview pretty much boiled down to scheduling. She had a pretty strict
outline that included the list of performers she wanted to interview. There
were referrals from people on her list suggesting she interview certain people
and those introductions were made.

The last interview that Patty spoke with was Jack Jones. She
advises me to hang in there with the interviews that I am trying to secure.
On
the fifth phone call, Jack told her that he was in town, he was recording a new
album and he would fit her in...and he did!

Patty and Barbara Van Orden

Patty and I share something in common. We are
interested in the process and what makes them tick as opposed to their sex
lives or private lives! Leave that to People, TMZ, and US magazine.

I would like to once again that all of my readers who can
make it to attend the East Hampton Authors night on Saturday night in East
Hampton. Patty feels so honored to be included. As mentioned earlier, she will
be with Hilary Knight who co-wrote and illustrated Eloise, Sam Irvin, who wrote
the definite biography of Kay Thompson. They all, of course, have a connection
to the Plaza Hotel. Eloise was born in the Persian Room. Once again, Dick
Cavett is hosting the event. Patty, unnecessarily, feels humbled to be in their
presence. It’s raising money for the library. They all have donated books to
the library. Our libraries are facing the same fate that is happening to a lot
of print magazines and newspapers. There aren’t as many people taking advantage
of libraries as in previous decades. People very read books anymore. Patty is
all for supporting your local library.

WHEN: Saturday, August 11th at 7:00 pm
WHERE: Authors Reception from 5 – 7:30pm and Dinner Parties at 8:00pm
TICKETS: Tickets range in price from $100 for the cocktail hour only to up to $2500 for select
dinner parties. Available at http://www.authorsnight.org/ or calling 631-324-0222 ext 7

Authors Night is a lavish fundraiser to benefit the East Hampton Library. All proceeds go directly to
the Library. Beginning in 2005 with a handful of dinners and a few hundred attendees, it has grown to
be the premier literary event of the Hamptons with over 160 authors and more than 1,000 people in
attendance. he evening begins under the tent at the East Hampton Library. Enjoy fabulous hors
d'oeuvres and wine. Meet your favorite authors, buy their books and have them inscribed. The most
recent titles for each author will be available for purchase at the event. Every title — past and present
— written by our guest authors can be inscribed at the event. Don’t forget to bring your books with
you to have them inscribed!

Call it the biography of a place, a collaborative memoir, a history—but whatever you call it, The
Persian Room Presents will transport you to the most elegant and magical nightspot New York has
ever known. In this dishy, personal, and compulsively readable book, dozens of celebrities reminisce
about their experiences performing and partying at the Plaza and they all agree on one thing: there’s
never been anyplace like it. For more than forty years, from 1934 to 1975, the Persian Room was the
place to be in New York City. An unparalleled array of performers graced its stage. And, though more
than three decades have passed since the final ovation, there are many from both sides of the footlights
who remember its charms. Among the many stars who spoke for the record are Andy Williams, Marge
Champion, Polly Bergen, Diahann Carroll, Connie Stevens, Lesley Gore, Patti Page, Carol Lawrence,
Jack Jones, Michele Lee, Lainie Kazan, Julie Wilson, Tony Butala, Tony Sandler, Celeste Holm, Kaye
Ballard, and Roslyn Kind. Don Dellair regaled the author with humorous tales of both Hildegarde and
Liberace. Hilary Knight—the legendary illustrator who brought Eloise to life—spoke wistfully of Kay
Thompson and Lisa Kirk.
Order your copy today by clicking HERE

Since she was a little girl, Patty Farmer dreamed of living at the Plaza—just like that scamp Eloise, whose storybook adventures she relished.
Decades later, that dream came true and she found herself permanently ensconced in
an apartment on the eighth floor of the famed hotel—and more passionate than ever
about exploring every nook of it and immersing herself in its history. The Persian
Room Presents is the first book in a series she is planning about many aspects of her
beloved landmark home.

Thank
you Patty Farmer for the gifts you have given to the world and will continue
to give!

With grateful XOXOXs ,

Check out my site celebrating my forthcoming book on Hello, Dolly!

I want this to be a definitive account of Hello, Dolly!
If any of you reading this have appeared in any production of Dolly, I'm interested in speaking with you!